


Dances With Daedra

by ArdenSul



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Alcohol, Canon-Typical Violence, Daedra (Elder Scrolls), Daedric Princes (Elder Scrolls), Eventual Romance, F/M, Female Protagonist, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Interspecies Romance, Mental Health Issues, Mild Language, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Shivering Isles (Elder Scrolls), Slow Burn, Trauma, bisexual main characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:46:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23900281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArdenSul/pseuds/ArdenSul
Summary: Cassandra never wanted to be a hero. She never wanted to save Cyrodiil from hordes of invading daedra. She never wanted Martin to die. But when a strange door opens in the Niben Bay several months after the Oblivion Crisis, Cassandra reluctantly decides to take up the call to close it. What lies beyond though, she never could have prepared for...
Relationships: Hero of Kvatch | Champion of Cyrodiil/Sheogorath, Sheogorath (Elder Scrolls)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. A Strange Door

**Author's Note:**

> My first published fanfic? For a 14 year old game? Quarantine is really bringing a whole 'nother side of me out. If I can do this right I plan that this will be a longfic, though I'll try to update fairly regularly. I'm a college student though... so we'll see how that goes. I hope you'll enjoy <3

It was happening again.

_Somewhere far beyond her waking mind, a young woman sat peacefully in a field of vibrant flowers. A gentle breeze blew across the land, cooling the air and sending a copious amount of petals into the wind. Above, the sky was alight with vivid pink and purple colors of the setting sun. She could not recall where she had been prior or where she was going, but at that moment it did not matter much to her. She simply was here now, and she was content in that. She would have been perfectly happy to sit there and watch the sky forever- basking in the chaotic artistry of nature._

_Suddenly, the wind changed. The ground began to shake and split. On the horizon, ominous dark clouds rolled in, blocking out the light of the sun. The woman tried to stand, but fell to her knees as sharp pillars sprung out of the ground. Beneath her feet, the flowers withered and died. The land was turning grey and barren. She wanted to get up. Run. Get far away from here. But amidst her panic she was paralyzed. Frozen in fear. All she could do was watch the desolate scene play out in front of her. Then, with a booming crack, the ground broke into a million pieces and she fell. She was falling, falling, far down. She screamed aloud, her voice tearing through the air as she hurdled towards her certain doom._

Cassandra fell from her bed with a small yelp and resounding thud. She groaned, her mind slowly returning to wakeful consciousness once more.

_Damn nightmares again._ She cursed to herself, steadily rising to her feet. This was not the first time she had been less than gracefully awoken by her own night terrors. It had become a common occurrence, since well… that day. The Oblivion Crisis. It was best not to dwell on her unconscious thoughts too hard.

Rubbing the sleet from her eyes, she wandered over to the window of the small, dusty, inn bedroom. Outside, it was still dark. Judging by the light though, the sun would be rising soon. She fussed with her traveling bag for a moment, then pulled out a light-weight, white set of armor with the Kvatch symbol, along with a simple steel blade. She spent a few minutes fighting with the material and arming herself, then turned to the dingy mirror in the corner of the room. The face of a mid-twenty year old Imperial woman, with curly black hair and steel-grey eyes stared back with a puzzled expression. Absent-mindly, she reached up and touched the grisly burn that scarred almost half of the left side of her face. It was a visceral mark from the final battle with Mehrunes Dagon and his army of daedra some months ago. She sighed and turned away, grabbing her bag, and heading out of the door.

Cassandra walked out of the entrance to Bravil and wandered down to the shore of the nearby bay. The morning had arrived, and the waves glistened in the warm light of the sun. As much as she wanted to stop and enjoy the beautiful view, she was dead set on her mission. She had heard murmurs from travelers of a strange door- potentially an Oblivion gate- that suddenly appeared on a small island in the Niben Bay. If the rumors were true, then she had to get that gate shut at all costs.

_And I’ll be damned if I let another Daedric Prince wreak havoc on Tamriel while I’m still breathing._

She had considered going to the Blades for help but… she couldn’t bear the thought of going back to Cloud Ruler Temple. After the Oblivion Crisis, she had kept away from the Blades and attempted to keep a low profile. She couldn’t just play hero and pretend everything was okay. Not after watching her hometown of Kvatch burn down. Seeing so many innocents die. Losing the one she loved most.

_Martin…_

So she swam across the bay alone.

It wasn’t long before she came across the “door” in question. Even from the water, Cassandra could see the huge stone structure in the distance. When she reached the island and started up the pathway she could see it more clearly. It was carved to look like three heads conjoined together, with a strange purple light emitting from the center head’s open mouth.

_It doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen in Cyrodiil._ She thought to herself.

She stopped walking when she noticed a Khajiit and a Bravil guard over by the door. Being the closer of the two, she headed over to the Khajiit first.

“You there. What are you-”

“Go away. I’m not here right now.” The cat quickly replied, ducking and turning away from her.

_Ookay…_

She was about to walk over to the guard next, when suddenly a flash of light gleamed from the portal and a Dunmer stumbled out.

"It's not right! Madness! Why? Why? Everything is wrong! It can't be done!” He frantically cried, falling onto the ground.

“Stay away from me! I won't go back. I won't go back! You can't make me go back! I'll kill you all! You're all going to die!"

The Dark Elf reached for his dagger, but before he could make good on his words, the guard unsheathed his sword and slew him in one quick motion. Cassandra watched for a brief moment, bewildered at the scene. Then she cautiously made her way over to the entrance of the door.

"I'd stay back from that door if I were you.” The Bravil guard spoke to her as she approached.

“Nothing that's gone in has come out right. I don't know where it came from, and I don't want to. Those who've gone in have come back out... wrong. I'm just here to warn folks to stay away."

“What happened to them?” Cassandra asked, turning towards him.

"Look for yourself! Their brains are addled. Got no sense! Perfectly normal people went in there. And this is what's come out."

She glanced at the swirling purple light in front of her.

“If this is an Oblivion gate, then I have to close it. I’m going in.” She spoke, trying to compose herself. 

"Ha! It's your funeral. I'm just here to warn people, not keep them out. Go ahead in. I'll be here to clean up the mess when you come out."

She considered telling the guard to mind his own damn business, when suddenly the sound of thunder cracked and a voice roared from the strange door,

" **Unworthy, unworthy, UNWORTHY! Useless mortal meat. Walkin’ bag of DUNG!** ” Snarled the voice, in a bizarre accent.

Startled by the sudden sound, Cassandra immediately took a step back and unsheathed her sword.

“ **A nice effort, though. A shame he's dead. Heh, these things happen.** ” The voice continued, more calmly.

She raised one of her eyebrows. The sudden change in tone was...odd, to say the least.

“ **Brrring me a champion! Rrrend the flesh of my foes! A mortal champion- to wade through the entrails of my enemies!** ” It growled, changing tone in voice once more.

_Oblivion gates don’t usually talk..._ She thought, backing up further.

_Unless- is this the voice of some kind of daedra?_

“ **Really, do come in. It's lovely in the Isles right now. Perfect time for a visit.** " The strange voice cooed.

Cassandra stood waiting for a few moments, listening for another response. When none came, she took it as a cue to head back towards the door.

"Did you hear that? Did you? Voices from nowhere, madmen... where does it end? How did I get this posting…?" The guard rambled on, terror in his eyes.

Cassandra did not answer. Regardless of wherever this strange door came from, it was dangerous. She had to put a stop to this madness. With her sword still at the ready, she walked forward into the glowing portal.


	2. Gatekeeper

Cassandra felt a wave of nausea as she traveled through the purple light. Her vision began to twist and spin, until suddenly she was standing in a small, dark room. She looked up and saw what appeared to be a balding Breton man in a red and black suit sitting at a stone table. His hands were folded together, and he looked rather bored, as if he had been sitting there for hours. On the table sat a ticking metronome, which made the only sound in the tiny room. 

“Ah, another mortal ventures through the door.” The man- or daedra? Finally spoke.

“Let's be civil, shall we? Please, have a seat."

“Who are you? What is this place? Explain yourself!” Cassandra demanded, raising her voice.

“We may speak, if you would please take a seat.”

_Manners? This is definitely not like any other Oblivion gate I’ve been through._ Cassandra thought as she eyed the room around her. She sighed, and plopped down in the empty chair across from the man. 

"See? That wasn’t very hard. Now what can I do for you? I imagine you're here about the door?"

“Exactly. What’s it doing in Cyrodiil? Where is this place? Start talking. _Now_.” She glared at him. The man in the suit simply sighed, seemingly unphased as if he had done this a million times prior. 

"You approach the Shivering Isles. Through the door behind me lies the realm of Sheogorath, Prince of Madness, Lord of the Never-There. I am Haskill, Chamberlain to the Lord Sheogorath."

_Sheogorath_. Cassandra certainly was no expert on the Lords of Oblivion, but she had heard plenty of stories about the Prince of Madness. She recalled a tale of the Prince disemboweling a woman to create musical instruments out of her remains. She shuddered at the thought.

“So that voice I heard-”

“Yes, an invitation from the Lord Sheogorath. The door poses no danger to Mundus; no compact has been violated. Perhaps you will accept it for what it is."

“No danger!? Everyone that’s gone through that door has lost their mind!” She spoke, raising out of her chair. Haskill put up a leisurely hand. 

“Calm yourself. They entered this Realm, and were ill prepared. Their minds are now the property of my Lord."

“Well how can I fix them?” She pursued, still raised out of her chair. 

“Fix? You misunderstand. You speak as if they are broken. They simply live now in another state of mind.” He paused a moment to look at her. 

“...Perhaps it is _you_ who needs fixing.”

This man or daedra or whatever in Oblivion he was, seemed irritating to no end. She was tempted to raise her sword and threaten his life. Unfortunately though, intimidation thus far didn’t seem to be getting her anywhere. If she wanted to have a chance of finding out how to close the door, she knew she was going to have to play along for a bit. She let out a heavy sigh and sat back down. 

“Whatever. Well, what do you want with me anyway?”

"For you? I do not know. My Lord seeks a mortal to act as His Champion. As for His intent... to attempt to fathom it is a foolish endeavor. His will is His own. His reality follows suit."

_A Champion? Why in Oblivion does a Daedric Prince need a mortal champion?_ She quietly thought to herself.

_This might be a trap..._

“What’s going to happen now?” She asked, crossing her arms. 

"You do as you will. You may leave the way you entered. Your life will be none the worse for your time spent here. Or, you may continue onward, through the door behind me. If you can pass the Gates of Madness, perhaps the Lord Sheogorath will find a use for you."

“So if I go through these ‘Gate of Madness’ you speak of, I might be able to speak to Sheogorath?” 

“Perhaps, should you find a way through the Gates that is.”

Cassandra wasn’t thrilled by the fact she was running headlong into the jaws of Oblivion again. But she figured the only way she was going to solve this situation was to press on further until she could come up with a better plan. 

“Alright. I’ll continue on then.” She replied. 

"Fine. I'm sure my Lord will be most pleased, assuming you ever manage to see Him. Oh, and mind the Gatekeeper. He dislikes strangers to the Realm. Enjoy your stay."

And with that, Haskill stood up and walked over to the door behind him. He opened it and left, leaving Cassandra in the darkness for a few brief moments. That was until suddenly, the room dissolved into a cavalcade of multicolored butterflies right in front of her eyes. Immediately, the Imperial stood up and watched in pure wonder as the butterflies took flight into stunning gold and blue sky. 

…..

The world that Cassandra suddenly found herself in was incredibly strange. There were green forests filled with colorful oversized mushrooms and trees as far as the eye could see. She had been walking along the stone path in front of her for no more than an hour or so when she came upon a small town. Surprisingly, nothing much had attacked her on the stone pathway through the mushroom forest- save for a sole reptilian creature which she made short work off with her blade. When she approached the town, she continued up the pathway until she spotted two huge gates in the distance. She stopped though, when she saw a massive humanoid monstrosity at least thrice her height attacking a handful of armored warriors in front of the gates. Effortlessly, the hulking beast crushed its attackers until none remained. Cassandra stood still, horrified at the scene- not even realising another two onlookers were watching beside her. 

“Dead. I warned them didn't I?” The Redguard man spoke, turning to his Dark Elf friend. 

“Oh dear. They bled all over the place. Yuck! I’m getting out of here.” The Dunmer responded as he turned to leave. 

“Wait- who are you?” Cassandra questioned the pair next to her. The Redguard spoke up first.

“A newcomer, eh? My name is Sheldon. I’ve been here the longest, which makes me mayor of Passwall! Welcome to _my_ town.” He responded in a haughty tone. 

“The longest?” 

“Oh yes! I’m Felas Sarandas by the way. That old man in the room made out of butterflies told us to wait here. Passwall is a nice enough place though, I feel like I belong.” The Dark Elf spoke up, cheerfully. 

“Well too bad _I_ don’t plan on staying here.” Cassandra retorted. 

“I need to find a way through the Gates of Madness so I can speak to Sheogorath. I assume that uh, _thing_ , is the Gatekeeper. Do you know how I can get past it without getting turned into a pancake?” She continued. Sheldon shook his head. 

“I’ve heard that the only keys to open the gates are sewn into the Gatekeeper's body. Basically, that means you’re not getting in. If you are really suicidal though, I think Jayred Ice-Veins was looking to kill the Gatekeeper too. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Sheldon replied and then turned back to his friend.

“Come on Felas, let’s get out of here.” The two men then headed back towards the town. Cassandra remained, eyeing the Gatekeeper, wondering how in Oblivion she was going to fight this beast. 

_I guess it's like a trial. Sheogorath only wants someone clever enough to kill that thing to get through._ She shrugged and turned away. 

_Guess I’m off to find this Jayred guy_. 

…..

It didn’t take Cassandra long to find the Nord in question. He was sitting on the steps outside of his wooden house sharpening an arrow and quietly muttering incoherently to himself. Even as she approached, he didn’t seem to notice her. 

“You’re Jayred Ice-Veins? I heard you wanted to kill the Gatekeeper.” Upon hearing her speak- the Nord finally looked up.

“I want- no, I _need_ him dead! His bones are calling to me…” Jaryed spoke in a hurried whisper, his eyes wildly darting around. 

“Rumor is you want him dead too. If you’re any good with a lockpick we can help each other out. We can break into the Garden of Flesh and Bone!” He continued, now rising from his spot on the steps. 

“What's killing the Gatekeeper got to do with the Gardens?” Cassandra asked, taking a step back in case the man turned hostile. 

"They say the Gatekeeper's magical. I don't believe in magic, but I _do_ believe in bones. And the best way to kill something is with the bones of its own, you understand?” He spoke very seriously now, as if his life depended on it. 

“I can see the bones of a dead Gatekeeper in the courtyard of the Gardens. The door's locked, though. You'll pick that lock, and I'll collect the bones. Then I'll make some arrows, and we'll kill the Gatekeeper. Sound good?"

_This guy’s nuts, but I don’t really see any alternatives here…_

“Alright, fair. Where are these Gardens of Flesh and Bone?” She responded, calmly. 

“Come on then!” The tall Nord pushed passed her and bounded down the steps.

“I’ll lead you to the Gardens! Quickly now! I can hear the bones calling to me!” 

The Nord took off down the road, and Cassandra bounded into a run to keep pace with him.

“Ey! Slow down!” She called out, but to no avail.

They ran to the outskirts of Passwall, before coming across a small chain gate. Jayred then produced a lockpick out of his pocket and handed it to the Imperial woman. Cassandra was no master thief, but this lock was exceedingly simple to open. It made her briefly question her new ally’s mental capacity. As soon as she got the gate door opened, Jayred bolted inside like a wild dog. She cautiously followed behind, but felt relieved when he returned to her laughing gleefully with a cluster of odd bones in his hands. 

“With these bones I can make the arrows! It will take some time though- meet me at my house in the early morning, and we’ll finally kill the Gatekeeper.” He gloated. Cassandra nodded. 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

…. 

As the setting sun turned the sky into a menagerie of colors, Cassandra walked to Passwall’s only inn. She figured that since it would take until morn for Jayred to be ready with the arrows, she might as well rest up for the fight. Inside, she threw a couple of septims down on the counter for a bed and liquor from the weary High Elf women running the inn. She took her drink over to the sitting area to the side, where she noticed a young Breton woman with braided blonde hair and innocent light eyes reading at a table. 

“Oh hello there dear! Never seen you here before, you must be new around here! Come, sit down.” The woman perked up. Cassandra glanced around and, judging it was safe enough, plopped down at the table.

“I’m Nanette Don.” She spoke warmly.

“And you?”

“Cassandra Valus.” 

The two talked for a while. Nanette went on about the history of Passwall and how she was being apprenticed by another woman, Relmyna Verenim. Cassandra listened intuitively, gazing at the woman while she sipped on her drink. Nanette seemed genuinely kind and most definitely pretty. Perhaps a year or two ago Cassandra would have tried her luck with flirting with the young woman. But that was then- her heart felt too wounded to do anything of the sort now. This wasn’t the best time anyways, she needed to stay focused. Her ears perked when she began to talk about the Gatekeeper. 

“-He's Relmyna's crowning achievement. She calls him her child! The Gatekeeper keeps out people who don't belong in the Shivering Isles. She made him in the Gardens of Flesh and Bone. Oh, and this is really interesting- wait! Never mind." Nanette covered her mouth with her hand and looked away. Cassandra sat up a little straighter. 

“What was that you were saying?”

“Oh, um, nothing. Big mouth almost just got me in trouble again.” She laughed nervously.

“Just forget about it, m’kay?” She spoke quickly. Cassandra could see the fear set in her eyes. Forgetting her wisdom, she reached over the table to touch Nanette’s hand. 

“Come on. You can trust me. No one’s gonna hurt you.” Cassandra cooed, looking into her eyes. The Breton woman blushed. 

“Well I uh… Don’t tell Relymna I said anything, but the Gatekeeper is flawed! Her tears hurt the daedra bound to its body. You can go see for yourself. She visits him every night usually around midnight.” She spoke in a hurried whisper. Cassandra gave a warm smile and was about to tell her of her appreciation, when suddenly a tall, red haired, Dark Elf woman stormed down the inn’s steps and into their sitting area. Cassandra assumed this was Relymna. She spoke in a cruel, viscous tone.

“Nanette, come we have work-” She stopped, glancing at the pair. Then she frowned and gave Cassandra a look that she almost swore could kill. 

“What are you doing, Nanette? Making eyes at this cretin? Get ahold of yourself!” Relmyna grabbed her frightened apprentice by the arm and practically dragged her out of her chair and out the door. Before she left though, Nanette looked back and gave Cassandra a terrified puppy-dog stare that made her heart shatter. All she could do was mouth a pathetic, “I’m sorry” as the two left. 

Yes. Cassandra would be killing Relymna Verenim’s “child” tomorrow. 

…..

Cassandra followed Nanette's advice to the letter. She snuck out of the inn at midnight, quietly walked back to the Gate of Madness, and hid off to the side. There, she saw Relymna speaking to the Gatekeeper. She was too far to make out any words, but she watched as the Dark Elf discarded a handkerchief that she used to dry her tears. When the coast was clear, Cassandra ran out, grabbed the tissue, and darted back to the Inn before the Gatekeeper could spot her. There, she caught a few hours of sleep before waking and returning to Jayred Ice-Vein’s house just as the sun began to rise. 

“You ready?” Cassandra questioned Jayred when she made her way inside his house. The Nord produced a bundle of sharp-tipped arrows.

“Arrows are done! Here, you take some and we’ll down the Gatekeeper together.” Cassandra smiled and politely waved her hand. 

“You keep the arrows. You’re better with a bow so they’ll be best suited in your hands. Last night I got this-” She unseathed her sword and generously covered the tears onto the blade. 

“The tears of the Gatekeeper’s creator. It works like a poison against it.” 

“Don’t believe in that stuff, but I’ll trust you I suppose. Come on, let's go kill the Gatekeeper. We might die, but there are worse things.” And with that, the two headed out of the door and walked sure-footed to the Gates of Madness. 

The two wasted no time in their attack. Jayred took the first shot, aiming for the Gatekeeper’s neck. When the arrow connected, the monster stumbled a bit but then retailed and charged towards the Nord. 

“Keep it distracted!” Cassandra yelled as she ran from Jayred toward the side of the Gates and behind the Gatekeeper’s line of sight. Jayred maneuvered around stone ground and continued to wear down the monster, shooting arrow after arrow. With the Gatekeeper’s attention elsewhere, Cassandra moved in and sliced her blade across the Gatekeeper’s leg. Wounded, the monster stopped its charge but mustered the strength to turn towards the Imperial.

_Shit_. The Gatekeeper roared and brought down a wicked hand-sword with the intent to kill its target. In the nick of time, Cassandra jumped sideways and dogged the impending attack, also managing to cut the monster’s other leg in the process. Immediately, it fell over onto its knees, critically wounded by the arrows and poison now coursing through its veins. Quickly, Cassandra stood up and firmly plunged her blade into the monster’s neck. It let out a defeated roar, and then slumped to the ground. 

The Gatekeeper was finally dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this quest was a lot longer than I remembered! Sorry if it's a little boring since I mostly stuck to the quest storyline for this part. Things will be getting more interesting though as Cassandra heads towards New Sheoth in the next chapter!


End file.
